RAF fighter jets were swiftly deployed from Scotland this week after a Russian military aircraft was detected approaching UK airspace.
Two Typhoon jets from RAF Lossiemouth, located in Moray, were scrambled to monitor a Russian Bear-F reconnaissance plane flying over the North Sea on Thursday, the Ministry of Defence confirmed.
The Russian aircraft was within the UK’s area of interest, although it did not breach British sovereign airspace at any time during the operation.
This latest airspace incident comes shortly after the Royal Navy shadowed Russian military vessels transiting through the English Channel.
HMS Iron Duke and the support tanker RFA Tideforce tracked a group of three Russian vessels, including the newly commissioned frigate Admiral Golovko, the oceanographic research ship Yantar, and the tanker Vyazma.
Before British forces took control of the operation, the Norwegian Navy had been monitoring the vessels.
The Duke-class frigate and Tide-class tanker, supported by an RAF P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, continued tracking the Russian vessels through the Channel before handing over the task to the French Navy.
As Admiral Golovko continued its course, HMS Iron Duke took over shadowing duties for a second group of Russian ships.
This included the frigate Neustrashimy and the tanker Akademik Pashin, which were heading back to their home port in the Baltic Sea.
Iron Duke maintained surveillance as the ships passed through the Channel and into the North Sea before passing the baton to a Dutch warship.
Luke Pollard, Minister for the Armed Forces, stated: “Our adversaries should be in no doubt of our steadfast determination and formidable ability to protect the UK.
“The Royal Navy and RAF have once again shown they stand ready to defend our country at a moment’s notice and I pay tribute to the professionalism and bravery of those involved in these latest operations.”
This marks the second time in just three months that the Royal Navy and RAF have detected Russian vessels and aircraft near UK airspace and waters within the same week.
